The Greens are in discussions with cinema owners at Raymond Terrace and Cessnock to show Promised Land – about one town’s fight against gas – on the big screen. “Fullerton Cove coal seam gas is very much in the public eye at Raymond Terrace so I think we could show it as a fund-raiser,” Maitland party member and mining spokesman Jan Davis said. 

“We’ll speak to the Raymond Terrace cinema owner who has Cessnock too, but if there’s support we would like to show it in Maitland too.”

Matt Damon (the Bourne trilogy) plays a corporate salesman who preys on the economic misfortune of a rural town on top of gas deposits. But when residents refuse to sign away their rights Steve Butler (Damon) is forced to reassess his life.

Damon reunites with Good Will Hunting director Gus Van Sant for the film largely shot on location in rural Pennsylvania.

“I’ve seen the shorts online and it looks quite good,” Ms Davis said.

Residents of Fullerton Cove ran a nine-day blockade against Dart Energy and its bid to extract CSG in August that was broken up by police.

The film was released in the US on January 4 but does not have an Australian release date as yet.